Crap!-may have lost one in Oshkosh

[2fat2fly 0]

Early reports are that a couple of Mustangs got together on landing costing us one pilot. Airtwardo was closer to it than I am and can probably fill in the blanks. I know that his jump was cancelled today.

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[Beerlight 0]

I just got back from OSH yesterday afternoon.....barely.

Sad to hear this news. Also, T-6 pilot put down on a highway off the airport early in the week, pilot was ok. A Glastar landed hard at Osh and cracked the gear and a Bonanza flying in from Rockford had an engine failure and landed ok in a farmers field.

[2fat2fly 0]

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070727/GPG0101/70727184/1206/GPGnews

I am not the man. But the man knows my name...and he's worried

[Derekbox 0]

Mustangs must've been swooping. We need to write a BMSR (Basic Mustang Safety rule) outlining the changes need to prevent high performance Mustang landing related collisions.

[Snowwhite 0]

An experimental did a quick landing with a little damage at Rantoul on Monday on the way to Oshkosh. It was in the FBO undergoing a little surgery when we were there on Tues, and Wed.

skydiveTaylorville.org
freefallbeth@yahoo.com

[gonzalesna 1]

Quote

“That’s what upset us most. You can replace the metal you can’t replace the man,” said Barry Morris from Georgia.

Too true in all aspects of life.

My dad is a crew chief with the CAF and was suppossed to be on this airplane. To this day, he still says the plane never would've crashed if he'd been on it, but I'm happy he wasn't just in case. I was in boot camp at the time. The "engine failure" mentioned was due to the aircraft running out of gas. The HE-111 Heinkel had 2 fuel tanks and the tanks needed to be used in a specific order. The pilots used it in the incorrect order, hence they "ran out of gas" with fuel on board.

Sadly, the HE-111 that crashed was the only one left in the world that was in flying condition. Prior to being placed in the CAF, it was the personal transport for the King of Spain. When my dad lived in AZ, I'd go with him on occasion to the hanger and walk around. I got to go inside a lot of aircraft, including the Heinkel. I'm still sad to see it's gone.

Some people refrain from beating a dead horse. Personally, I find a myriad of entertainment value when beating it until it becomes a horse-smoothie.

[Zing 2]

I heard about this shortly after it happened. I found out today that the pilot who died was Gerry Beck. He was a jumper back in the 60s and early 70s and ran a cropduster operation in the town where my dad lives.
About 15-20 years ago, he began manufacturing replacement parts for warbirds, then built his business into a restoration/rebuild operation for warbirds.
At the Wahpeton Airport and a museum in Fargo, his airplanes and those belonging to several friends comprise quite a collection. If you're ever in Fargo, be sure to go to the museum there at Hector Airport.
The pilot of the other P-51 is the son of an ex-jumper friend from whom I bought my first square parachute, a Paraplane, back in the early 70s.
When the accident at Oshkosh happened, Gerry was flying a P-51A that he essentially built from the ground up, not a restoration.
I used to go out to his shop whenever I was there visiting family and rub against all the great airplanes he had. He was a good man, and I'm going to miss him.

Zing Lurks

[stratostar 5]

Quote

Gerry Beck

All stand and raise "Go West young man, Go West!"

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo